Purpose

We aim to

Provide timely, specialised veterinary care to injured urban wild animals, rehabilitate them, and then release them into their natural or adoptive habitats.

Create awareness, amongst citizens of all ages and backgrounds, about urban wildlife, and to instil a deep regard for their cohabitation needs and when to actively engage in their welfare.

Community outreach and education about our local environment and how we can enrich and protect it.

Develop a practise that employs better wildlife care techniques, engaging specialists and veterinarians from across the world.

Ultimately, we’d like to be a centre of excellence for animal care, focussed on urban wildlife.

The Dire Need for Urban Wildlife Hospitals

As of a 2011 census, Bangalore had seen a human population growth of 53% as compared to 2001. This has grown even further in the last 5 years. These dramatic increases have steadily resulted in urbanisation that has adversely affected the city's lakes, parks and partial forests - causing significant ecological imbalance. Not long ago, Bangalore was a city of positive coexistence, rich in urban wildlife. With the effect of urbanisation, we see an increase in displaced animals and orphaned young ones, seeking safety, food and species security.

While the Wildlife Acts are designed to protect the nation's wildlife, they cannot protect the wildlife that lives in the cities. This then leaves the citizens of Bangalore city to responsibly and actively engage in enabling animals who coexist alongside us to be cared for, in much the same way we care for our pets, if not ourselves. This defines the role of the PfA Wildlife Hospital, and goes far deeper than human compassion and sensitivity.

Over the years, we have had some renowned visitors from the animal world - Gilles Boeuf, President of National Museum of Natural History - Paris, Virginia McKenna of the Born Free Foundation, and herpetologist Gerard Martin, amongst others.

Our Roots

Founded in 1996 by Namrata Dugar, Alpana Bhartia, Gauri Maini Hira and Arushi Poddar, People for Animals, Bengaluru, is a non-profit animal welfare organization, formed under the nationwide initiative and vision of Mrs. Maneka Gandhi.

Over the years, we have been involved in issues that have crossed various boundaries. The illegal slaughter of camels, ostrich farming, the disbanding of an elephant training camp, halting the mobile zoo display of animals in Mangalore, enabling confiscations of illegal domestication and commercial exploitation of various protected animals including macaques, parakeets, loris, jackals and snakes.

While the initial purview of the organisation was to create awareness on the rights and needs of animals, both domestic and wild, we then took a conscious decision to focus on the rescue and rehabilitation of injured or orphaned or displaced urban wildlife. This sector was much needed in the green city of Bangalore. This then enabled the wildlife hospital to take shape, becoming what it is today.

Our Accreditation

Licensed by the Karnataka Forest Department, with whom we coordinate special cases and effect releases.

Recognised by the Central Zoo Authority of India.

The Venu Menon Award, 2003IFAW recognition, selected by a national panel of eminent wildlife and conservationists.

Young Achievers Award, 2003PfA Volunteers were recognised for their dedication and service.

In 2007, the Karnataka Forest Department felicitated the trustees in recognition of their service to community and animal welfare.

Accreditation Certificate by Credibility Alliance, 2017People for Animals Bangalore has been awarded for adhering to the desirable norms for the good governance of Voluntary Organisations.

Our Trustees

People for Animals Bangalore was founded by four women in 1996.

Namrata Dugar always felt strongly about ahimsa, and that every living thing should live with dignity. Inspired by a friend who started PfA Chennai and Maneka Gandhi, she co-founded PfA Bangalore. She believes in making a difference not only by saving individual lives, but also by changing mindsets about how animals should be treated. Namrata actively participates in educational campaigns against cruelty to animals, and champions the use of products which do not involve animal abuse.

Alpana Bhartia has been actively involved in animal welfare for the last 20 years, and is one of the Founder Trustees of PfA. She is an honorary Animal Welfare Officer recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India. She promotes the use of integrated medical techniques in wildlife veterinary treatment. Alpana has written over a hundred articles on animal welfare for a leading English daily, has taught environmental education to the senior classes of St. Joseph Boys High School, and has been a speaker on animal welfare at numerous schools. She has been nominated by the Government of India on to the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), and is also on the Institutional Ethics Committee of National Institute of Advanced Studies (NMS).

Arushi Poddar started animal welfare by taking care of stray dogs in her locality. This experience motivated her to get together with like minded people and start the PfA shelter for animal welfare. Arushi holds a BA degree in literature, psychology and journalism, and a diploma in mass communication and counseling. She teaches creative theatre at various Schools, including the Aditi Mallya International School and the Vidya Niketan School.

Gauri Maini Hira has worked on the environment television series “Living on the Edge", which generated national awareness about the ecological challenges faced by our country. She has worked on films for Project Elephant, on the state of our zoos, about shrinking habitats and the degeneration and degradation of the environment, as well as films that highlight successful initiatives by committed individuals to live in harmony with the Earth. When Namrata approached her to start an animal welfare organization, she was delighted to be of service.

In 2017 the board of Trustees widened

Subrahmanian Santakumar (Subru) is a communications professional who works with Mercy For Animals India as the India coordinator, and also serves as a liaison to activists and other organisations in the country. He is a passionate animal lover and wildlife photographer, and has volunteered in animal rescue and rehabilitation for several years. He is an Honorary Trustee of the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre Bangalore (WRRC) and an Honorary Animal Welfare Officer, and is also on the captive elephant monitoring committees of Palakkad District in Kerala and South Kodagu in Karnataka.

Nagesh Manay is founder and head of a Bangalore-based brand consultancy and advertising agency. His deep interest in animals and a childhood-rooted concern for wildlife conservation brought him to PfA as a weekend volunteer. His interest in the organisation’s development led to Alpana inviting him to become a trustee.

Save Our Wildlife (SOWL) is a part of People for Animals, Bangalore. The Trustees are

Gopakurmar is an Engineer and passionate about animal rights and their welfare. He actively participates as a volunteer for the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, functioning under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to help in the cause of animal welfare.

Anand Jacob is a scientist by training and a medical writer by profession. He wants to do his bit to contribute to animal welfare, and to raise awareness about the plight of wildlife in our urban areas. When he travels, he likes to visit India's wild places to see birds and animals in their natural, untamed habitats.

The Advisory Board comprises of a group of personalities well-known for their work in animal welfare.

Suparna Baksi Ganguly is the Co-founder trustee and office bearer of both Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) and the Wildlife Rescue RehabilitatiOn Center Bangalore (WRRC). In recent years, Suparna hat directed her focus. and efforts to propel awareness and advocacy for the protection and rehabilitation of captive elephants all over India. Suparna was awarded the prestigious Nati Shaker 2015 Award by the Hon'able President Of India on International Women’s Day in 2016. She was also one of the finalists in the Narnma Berigaturu Awards 2015-16, in which the field of animal welfare was recognised for the first time. She is on various committees for domestic animals and captive elephant welfare In Karnataka state and was a member on the national task force for wild and captive elephants in 2011.

Brinda Nanda Kumar is a practicing advocate and also a Mediator of the Karnataka High Court. Her love for animals led her to fight many critical cases for the protection of both wild and domestic animals in the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka. She has also conducted many campaigns and projects for animal welfare and rights and advises numerous animal welfare groups on these issues.

Dr. Shiela N Rao is a graduate from the Veterinary College in Bangalore. Along with Mrs. Suparna Ganguly, she has been instrumental in filing the Supreme Court petition for captive elephants after many years of research and documentation. She was awarded the Special Achievement Award by the Karnataka Veterinary Association for the promotion of animal welfare in 2016. She is also Chairperson of an Independent Ethics Committee, which reviews protocols for human clinical trials.

Prem O Koshy is an entrepreneur, theatre personality and avid animal lover. As an old Bangalorean, his passion for animal welfare led to his involvement at various levels.